Immunotherapy of cancer using systemically delivered gene-modified human T lymphocytes

The use of gene-engineered T cells expressing chimeric single-chain (scFv) receptors capable of codelivering CD28 costimulation and T cell receptor zeta chain (TCR-zeta) activation signals has emerged as a promising treatment regimen for cancer. Using retroviral transduction, primary human T lymphocytes were gene-engineered to express the scFv-CD28-zeta chimeric receptor reactive with the ErbB2 tumor-associated antigen. We demonstrated the ability of these gene-engineered human T cells to produce high levels of cytokines, proliferate vigorously, and mediate lysis of ErbB2(+) tumors in an antigen-specific manner. Furthermore, such gene-engineered human T cells significantly delayed the growth of two distinct subcutaneous ErbB2(+) human tumors in irradiated nonobese diabetic-severe combined immunodeficient (NOD-SCID) mice after systemic administration. These preclinical studies are an important proof of principle that human T cells may be genetically redirected to tumors in cancer patients.